Paper-gage.



G. H. LUCAS.

PAPER GAGE.

APPLICATION FILED 1120.5, 1911.

Patented Oct. 28, 1913.

GHABLES H. LUCAS, T WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

PAPER- GAGE.

Bpcclflcatlon of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 28, 1913.

Application filed December 5, 1911. Serial No, 684,121.

To all whom it may concern:

13s it known that I, CHARLES H. Lucas, :1 cltlzen of the United States,and a resldent of Waltham, in the county of Middlesex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in Paer- Gages, of which the following is a specificatlon.

This invention relates to devices for measuring, especially thethickness of matcrial, and the invention is designed articularly formeasuring the thickness 0 paper.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter which may be readily carried in the pocket and which is dustproof.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a gage having twocooperating measuring members, theopposin faces of which are so formedthat they willnot press or sink into material such as paper, in orderthat the thickness may be accurately gaged.

Another object is to provide a gage having multiplying gearing Which isconstructed so that there will be no lost motion or back lash insaidcgearing.

To these ends the invention consists in the construction and combinationof parts substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

Of the accompanying drawings,-Figure 1 is a front elevation or face viewof the gage drawn to substantially full size. Fig. 2 is an enlarged rearview of the same with the back-plate removed. Fig. 3 is a view similarto Fig. 2 but showing some of the parts broken out and others insection. Fig. l represents a section on line H of Fig. 2 and including aback plate.

Similar reference characters indicate the same or similar parts in allof the views.

The case 10, preferably circular in form, is provided with an internalannular flange 11 for the dial plate 12. it is also provided with atight fitting bezel l3 carryingthe crystal 14. Near the rear edge of thecasing is another annular internal flange 15, against which the backplate 16 is confined by suitable means such as screws. The case is alformed or provided with bearings 17 forthe longitudinally movable gagingbar or slide 18 having a finger piece or push piece 19 at one end. Theslide 18 passes through a sleeve extension 20 of one of the bearings 17,and secured on said sleeve as by a screw 21, is a fixed jaw 22 having aflat face 23. The

movable measuring member to cooperate with the aw 22 comprises a'jaw 24having a flat face 25, said tjaw being secured to the reduced end 26 othe slide 18 by suitable .means such as a screw 27. The flat faces 23,25 are sufficiently wide to avoid becommg embedded in material such aspaper inserted between t wjaws, under the action of the spring orsprings presently described. If a screw or other positive means wereemployed to close the 'aws upon the material to be measured, suc extrapressure might he accidentally exerted as would prevent the jfitWS fromaccurately indicating the thickness. Moreover, as will be presentlyunderstood, the operation of measuring or gaging 1s efl'ected much morequickly than it screw mechan1sm were employed for closing the paws. Apin 28 projects laterally from the slide 18 and engages a guide 29, toprevent the sl1dc from rotating. As shown by comparlng Figs. 2 and 3,said guide consists of two ribs between which the end of the pin 28extends, said ribs being preferably integral with a block 30 thatis'secured inside the case by screws 31. A spring 32 connects the pin 28with an anchor 33 suitably secured in the case.

A staff or arbor 34 carrying a pointer 35 to cooperate with the markingson the dial plate 12 is supported by said dial plate'and by a bridge 36.A small pinion 37 carried by said staff or arbor meshes with a largerpinion 38 carried by a barrel 39 which is mounted in the dial plate andbridge 36. A chain 40 engages the barrel 39 and is preferably coiledonce around the said barrel (see Fig. 4;) and it is secured to saidbarrel by suitable means such as a screw 41 entering the barrel andhaving its head extending over and clamping the chain. Said chainextends in two directions from the barrel. At one end it carries an eye42 which is scoured, as by means of a screw, to a pin 43 projecting fromthe slide 13. Atthe other end, the chain is connected by a coupling 44with one end of a spring 45 the other end of said spring being connectedby an anchor 46 to the case. A coiled hair spring i7 is connected at oneend to the staff or arbor 34 and at the other end to the bridge 36.

It will be readily understood from Figs. 2 and 3 that the spring 45exerts tension in such direction as to aid the spring 32 in holding thegage bar or slide 18 in the normal or closed position shown in saidfigure,

and of course to also hold the jaws closed upon material insertedbetween them. When the gaging slide is operated in a direction to openthe gage such movement extends both springs 32 and 45 and through thechain member of the gearing rotates the barrel 39 and the intermeshingpinions 38, 37 causes the staff or arbor 34 to rotate so that thepointer 35 will indicate on the dial the space existing between the fiatfaces of the two jaws.

The construction illustrated shows in practice that variations ofthickness of material between the jaws may be accurately gaged orindicated in fractions of 1/1000 of an inch, without fluctuations due toany lost motion or back-lashing between members of the gearing. Thespring i5 not only aids the spring 32 in closing the jaws, but alsocauses the barrel 39 to accurately follow the slightest movements of thegaging slide, and to remain in the position to which it is rotated. Thespring 47 is coiled in a direction to be wound up when the jaws areopened and therefore this spring 47 also exerts what slight force it hasin the same direction as the springs 32 and 45, and also serves toprevent any lost motion or backlash between the pinions 37, 38. In otherwords, the spring 47 when unwinding, tends to rotate the stafl orarbor34 in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3, and the spring whencollapsing or shortening tends to rotate the barrel 39 and pinion 38 inthe direction of the arrow in the same figure and such direction ofmovement is the same as that imparted by the spring 32 in closing of thejaws. Therefore all springs act in the same direction to close the jaws,and when there is no material between the jaws, the pointer willaccurately indicate zero on the dial.

It will be seen that the device or implement is exceedingly simple, iscompact and dust proof so that it may be carried in the pocket, with nostructure of jaws which would be likely to become caught in the liningof the pocket, and having intermediate connections between the slide oractuator 18 and the indicator that are not liable to the errors whichusually occur with ordinary multiplying gearing.

I claim 1. A gage having a fixed jaw, a slide carrying another jaw tocooperate therewith, two intermeshing pinions, a pointer actuated by onepinion, connections between the other pinion and the slide for rotatingthe former from the latter, and three independent springs individuallyconnected to the two pinions and the slide to actuate them in onedirection.

2. A gage having a fixed jaw, a slide can rying another jaw to cooperatetherewith,

two intermeshing pinions, a pointer actuated by one pinion, a chainconnected to the slide and to the other pinion whereby a movementpinions, a pointer actuated by one pinion,"

a chain for transmitting motion from the slide to one of said pinions, aspring connecting said chain with a fixed point, and an independentspring connected to the pinion carrying the pointer, said springs beingconnected to act to close the aws.

4. A gage having two cooperating members, a slide carrying one of saidmembers, a dial, a pointer arbor having a pinion, a barrel having apinion meshing with the pinion of said arbor, a chain connected to saidbarrel and to said slide, a spring for holding the slide in normalposition, and a spring connected to said chain to exert a tensionthereon in adirection to supplement the action of the first mentionedspring.

5. A gage having two cooperating measuring members, a slide carrying oneof said members, two intermeshing pinions, a pointer actuated by onepinion, a chain connecting the slide .with one of said pinions foractuating it in one direction, and three independent springs for the twopinions and the slide, all of said springs acting in one direction toclose the measuring members.

6. A gage having a slide, two jaws, one of which is carried by saidslide, a spring for actuating the slide in one direction, a barrelhaving a pinion, a chain coiled around said barrel and attached theretoand having one end connected to the slide, a spring connected to theother end of said chain, a dial, a pointer cooperating with said dial,an arhorfor said pointer having a pinion meshing with the pinion of saidbarrel, and a spring for actuating said arbor, all three of said springsacting to move the movable elements to which they are connected in adirection to return the pointer to zero and close the jaws.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

A. W. HARRISON, G. T. YOUNG. v

